Suicide - Always wrong?

I was listening to the radio when some nut job in Cleveland started eating a light bulb on a dare. I don't know what happened to him ultimately, but this made me start thinking about suicide.

Society says suicide is wrong, flat out. Dr. K is criminal and suicide is a crime, right?

I don't understand this viewpoint. Why is suicide taboo? Sure, I don't doubt for a minute that some people are too hasty to consider suicide, but is that their decision, or ours? Why do we feel we have to intervene on a stranger's attempt to get out of pain. Of course I encourage anyone with these feelings to get help, but that isn't going to always eliminate the feelings dread, doom, and terminal agony.

There are at least two situations where I think it is ridiculous that society does not "allow" suicide. First of all, the terminally ill. Why can't someone decide that they would rather go now rather than suffer for 6 months, then die? Why can't they make that decision? Is it religious beliefs? If that's the case, then we should not impose those beliefs on other people. Follow the golden rule, and allow someone to escape torture as you would want to do also. And assisted suicide, sheesh. Someone is so bad off that they don't have the physical means to do it themself, yet we won't let a physician help them. That makes zero sense to me. Secondly, prisoners. If someone is senteced to death, life, or even a long term, why in the world do we not allow them to commit suicide? I say give them the means to do so when they walk in the door. I don't want to pay for this person's upkeep for 40 years. Food, legal fees, corrections operational costs, etc. If they want to die, let them. Think about the bare facts of this sentence. -We won't let a death row inmate kill himself.-

Interesting Blog on this topic - http://self-deliverance.blogspot.com/